DISERTASI dan TESIS Program Pascasarjana UM, 2011

Using Learning Log Strategy to Improve the Writing Ability of the Second Year Students of MTs Wachid Hasyim Surabaya. (Thesis)

Bambang Kustriadi

Abstrak

Kustriadi, Bambang. 2011. Using Learning Log Strategy to Improve the Writing Ability of the Second Year Students of MTs Wachid Hasyim Surabaya. Thesis, English Language Teaching, Graduate Program of State University of Malang. Advisors: (I) Drs. Fachrurrazy, MA., Ph.D., (II) Dr. Enny Irawati,M.Pd.

Key terms: learning log, writing ability

The study was conducted based on the result of the preliminary study in MTs Wachid Hasyim Surabaya, it was found out that the students of the school had some problems in learning writing. First, the teacher did not give a model of to write a paragraph that makes the students know what to do for writing. Second, the teacher did not provide more portion of time in writing activities for the students in class. Third, the strategies used in the teaching and learning process did not vary and interesting.

To answer the problem, this study was designed to improve the students' writing ability in English through learning log strategy. The focus of this study is to promote the students' idea and to help them acquire their writing habit so that their journals will not be assessed on the term of accuracy of writing but on fluency ideas. It is expected that the more the students practice writing regularly, their writing ability will improve.

This study employed a classroom action research design in which the researcher and the collaborative teacher worked together in designing the lesson plans, implementing the action, observing and making reflection. The subjects of the study were the second-year students of MTs Wachid Hasyim Surabaya, East Java of the 2010-2011 academic year. The instruments used to collect data are observation checklist, journal entries, field notes and questionnaire.

The procedures of implementing learning log strategy in teaching and learning process in this study were: (1) giving students the topics ; (2) asking the students to tell their experience; (3) asking the students to write down what they have learn in the classroom; (4) showing the students models of sentences and paragraphs; (5) asking the students to compare between their sentences and paragraphs and the models; (6) asking the students to rewrite their sentences and paragraphs; (7) showing the students models of learning logs;(8) giving explanation about learning logs to the students;(9) asking the students to write journals based on the topic given the week before after the end of the class or at the beginning of the class; (10) asking the students to write their own journals in class in paragraph of recount text.

The findings of the study show that the strategy can improve the students' writing ability. The improvement can be seen from the students' products both in quantity and quality. It can also be seen from the students' final scores. In terms of quantity, the students can write sentences and paragraph with the topic given with increasing number of sentences and paragraphs in each entry. In terms of quality, the students show significant improvement in four aspects of writing: content, organization, vocabulary and grammar. Regarding final scores, the number of students whose scores are 60 or higher is increasing from cycle 1 cycle 2. Based on the students' involvement also improves it can be seen in cycle 1, the average scale of the students level is 2.25 which has not reached the predetermined criteria yet. In cycle 2, the average scale improves to 4.0.

On the basis of the findings, some suggestions are made. First, the English teachers are suggested that they apply learning log when teaching writing to the students. Second, in applying learning logs, the teachers should be sure that the students have mastered basic vocabulary items and basic concept of sentences and paragraphs. Third, the teachers have to show to the students some models of journals. Models of sentences and paragraphs are also important to be given to the students. Fourth, for beginning activities in learning log writing, it is necessary for the teachers to give topic to the students. And finally, it could give valuable contribution for further research on the application of learning log.